Learning To Breathe
by Collide
Summary: Third chapter is up, and longer than the others. Please send a review to me!!!! Things are about to get ugly in the next chapters as two people find out about Yamato and Sora.
1. Chapter One

** Hi! I removed my other story from the net because I couldn't find a good way to express it since it's true. I guess it's a longer story and is way more complicated than I thought. Anyway, this new story is about a boy and a girl who fall in love, but someone gets between them and ruins everything. Will true love prevail? Read to find out! And send me some reviews! **  
  
Learning To Breathe  
  
By Lil  
  
Black clouds raced overhead as Odaiba prepared for another day of severe weather. It had been four days since the sun had shone its light on the city. Four days of thunder, lightning and hail dominated the forecast. Several homes had been damaged by the rising river water that had flooded its banks. Sora Takenouchi cringed as another thunderbolt shook the sky. She was terribly afraid of storms, and it was even worse since her mother had left for the weekend the night before. Now not only was she alone, but she was alone in the most fierce storms in town history. Quickly running a hand through her strawberry hair, Sora walked through the kitchen to the living room of the apartment she shared with her mother to call her friend Mimi. After eight rings Sora hung up, frustrated.  
  
'Where is she in this weather? She should be home like normal people!' Sora thought as she nervously walked through her house. Lightning struck, and for a second the lights flickered. Sora's cinnamon eyes widened as she fought the urge to panic.  
  
"I'm twenty one years old for goodness sakes! There's no need to freak over some lightning and thunder! Geez!" Sora exclaimed aloud. She got some candles out and lit them, just in case, then sat on the couch and flipped absently through the channels. She was determined not to let a stupid storm ruin her weekend.  
  
Two floors above Sora, Yamato Ishida washed dishes slowly. He loathed and detested his nights to cook, but did it anyway to carry his weight. Every few seconds lightning would strike outside his kitchen window, sending illuminated shadows scattering in a million directions. The blonde's azure eyes widened with fascination at the light show outside. Putting his last plate in the drainer, Yamato dried his hands and walked toward the door.  
  
"I'll be back! I'm going out to watch the storm!" Yamato called to his father before walking out the door. Yamato walked leisurely down the hall to the elevator and stepped in, letting the door close behind him. He pushed the ground floor button and waited as the old machine began its descent.  
  
At the same time, Sora was starving. There was nothing in the kitchen and the refrigerator was empty. She sat down and picked up the remote when her stomach growled.  
  
"You know, I don't care what the weather is. I want some dinner. No storm's gonna hold me back ever again! I'm outta here!" Sora proclaimed as she took her purse and left the apartment. She stopped at the elevator and called it. Almost immediately, it opened, revealing a young man in a white shirt and blue jeans. Sora smiled at him as she got into the elevator.  
  
"Hey Sora, going out into the storm, are we?" Yamato asked teasingly. Sora punched his arm playfully and smiled.  
  
"For your information, yes I am. I'm getting something to eat. Do you want to come?" Sora asked as she pushed the ground floor button.  
  
"Well, I already ate, but-" Yamato started, but was cut off after a huge clap of thunder sounded, and the electricity shut down. The elevator came to a jerky halt, throwing Sora and Yamato down onto the floor violently. Yamato sat up and rubbed his head where it had hit the floor. Sora jumped up and pushed some buttons frantically. Defeated, she sat down next to Yamato on the hard floor. The backup lights lit the small compartment so the two young adults could dimly see each other's faces.  
  
"Well isn't this nice?" Yamato asked, smiling. Sora shook her head and folded her arms around her knees, resting her head on them gently.  
  
"I knew I should have stayed in. . . " she muttered to herself. Yamato looked over and noticed the fear in his friend's eyes and wrapped an arm around the girl. Sora looked up into Yamato's eyes and smiled slightly.  
  
"I'm glad I'm not alone." Sora whispered. Yamato nodded, leaning in closer to Sora, until their noses were touching. Smiling, he moved a strand of red hair from Sora's face and touched her cheek tenderly. Sora blushed and looked away, but Yamato cupped his hand to Sora's face and turned her to him, meeting her in a light kiss on the lips. For a split second after they parted, neither of them could speak.  
  
"That was. . . .interesting. . . . I didn't know you felt that way about me." Sora said quietly, her gaze fixed on Yamato's dark blue eyes. Yamato smiled and nodded.  
  
"I can't believe I finally got the courage to let you know. Sora, I've felt this way for some time now, and I think that the next logical step in our friendship is this, and I pray that you agree with me." Yamato said nervously, the words seeming to blend into one full syllable. Sora didn't say anything for a moment, making Yamato nervous. He opened his mouth to say something when Sora wrapped her arms around him and kissed him full out on the lips. Minutes passed, and the couple dove deeper and deeper into each other, their kiss growing more and more passionate. Suddenly the lights came on and the elevator car opened to a crowd of people on the bottom floor. Yamato and Sora turned a bright shade of red and leapt to their feet, practically flying out of the elevator. Sora began walking to the door to leave when Yamato caught her arm.  
  
"You know, we have some food at our place. Wanna stay in tonight?" He asked nonchalantly. Sora smiled and nodded, taking Yamato's hand as they walked toward the stairwell.  
  
**Okay, first chapter is all done! I think people are going to like this story! Anyway, review it, let me know if you like it and I should continue it! It's going to get a little more romantic, but not to the point where it gets to be lemon. Maybe my next fic. . .** 


	2. Chapter Two

**Okay I've got the second chapter here for you! It's been a busy day for me; my friends have finally graduated!! Now I get to go to lots of fun parties and eat some really good cake! Yum!! Anyway, here's this next part for you I hope ya'll like it a lot!**  
  
Learning To Breathe  
  
Yamato walked Sora up to his apartment and unlocked the door. Yamato's father looked up from the kitchen table where he was reading the paper and smiled, his brown eyes surveying the couple.  
  
"That wasn't a very long outing, Yamato." Mr. Ishida said calmly, folding the paper and standing, nodding to Sora politely. Yamato blushed and looked down at Sora, who was also slightly blushing.  
  
"The elevator stopped working while I was in it, and Sora was hungry so I brought her up instead of going out." Yamato explained. For a brief second, he could almost feel the kiss as the memory of it floated through his mind. He shivered slightly and walked with Sora over to the fridge, pulling out the leftovers from dinner that night.  
  
"Well, it's a bit late, so I'm heading to bed." Mr. Ishida said, yawning and turning to leave the kitchen.  
  
"Goodnight, Mr. Ishida." Sora said courteously. Mr. Ishida nodded and walked into his room, closing the door. Sora turned around and looked at Yamato, who was spooning some rice onto a plate for her. Her large brown eyes then moved to the clock and she smiled.  
  
"Your father certainly gets tired early, huh?" Sora asked as she sat down at the table, fiddling with the salt and pepper shakers.  
  
"Not really, why do you ask?" Yamato answered, putting the food in the microwave and turning it on. Sora smiled and pointed at the clock on the wall.  
  
"It's eight thirty, that's why." Sora stated, grinning. Yamato's eyes widened and he began to laugh.  
  
"That's my dad for you. Always prepared to leave the apartment to me. Well, I'll show him. Let's go out tonight, just the two of us. I want to spend time with you all to myself, and we can't do that here necessarily." Yamato said, grinning mischievously. Sora felt Yamato's hand on her shoulder, and turned in time to greet his lips on hers.  
  
"Yamato. . . . " Sora whispered into his mouth, aching to kiss him more. She turned to face him as the microwave sounded, startling them both. Yamato smiled at Sora, then pulled a hot plate of rice and chicken out of the microwave. He turned his back for two seconds to get a glass of milk for Sora, and when he turned back, there sat Sora with an empty plate.  
  
"I told you I was starving." Sora said as she stood up, giggling at Yamato as he stared in amazement at the empty dish.  
  
"Wow you eat fast. And you eat a lot too! I didn't even eat that much for dinner!" Yamato joked. Sora pretended to take offense and turned to leave. Yamato met her at the door and wrapped a strong arm around her waist.  
  
"Not so fast. I'm not through with you." He whispered huskily into her ear. Sora felt a chill up her spine as she took a breath and turned to face Yamato, still in his grip.  
  
"Oh really?" Sora whispered back, gazing into Yamato's blue eyes coyly. Yamato felt himself losing control for a moment before regaining his composure and smiling seductively.  
  
"You bet. You're going to stay here with me for awhile and watch a movie with me. Then I'm going to take you home and put you to bed." Yamato said quietly, his voice making Sora shiver.  
  
"Well, I suppose I can do that. But I have some plans for you too, boy." Sora replied. She giggled when she saw Yamato's eyes widen.  
  
"I'm going to kiss you. And you're going to kiss me." Sora instructed, leaning up on her toes and kissing Yamato lightly. She backed away before the kiss intensified. Yamato leaned in for more, but Sora turned her face away, denying him playfully. Undeterred, Yamato scooped Sora up and took her over to the couch.  
  
"Put me down, Yamato!" Sora giggled as Yamato tickled her sides gently. Yamato shook his head and tickled her harder, making her gasp for breath in between her giggles.  
  
"Not until you kiss me again, Sora." Yamato demanded. Sora, too out of breath from laughing, nodded, and Yamato dropped her onto the couch. Yamato leaned a knee down and rested a hand on the top of the couch, looking down into Sora's chocolate eyes. Sora reached up and grabbed Yamato's white shirt and pulled him down beside her, kissing him full tilt. Yamato's mouth opened, and his tongue found its way into Sora's mouth, meeting hers gently. Sora ran her hands down Yamato's back as he kissed her harder. Yamato touched Sora's face softly, then moved his hand to her side, holding her close to him. He heard Sora whisper something he couldn't understand into his mouth as he stroked her crimson hair tenderly. Finally, after several minutes the pair stopped kissing and looked into each others eyes quietly. The clock struck nine, shaking Yamato out of his trance.  
  
"I want to spend more time with you, Sora." Yamato whispered, his eyes shining.  
  
"I want to spend more time with you too, Yama." Sora replied, smiling. She felt a slight blush creep to her cheeks.  
  
"Yamato, how long have you liked me?" Sora asked shyly. Yamato blushed deeply and sighed. He rested his head on Sora's lightly.  
  
"I have liked you for the longest time. I can't remember when I started liking you, and I never want to stop liking you." Yamato answered, looking into Sora's eyes. In Yamato's amazing cobalt orbs, all Sora could see was sincere honesty. She could feel her mind going at ease as she smiled and kissed Yamato on the lips once.  
  
"I want you to always be with me, Yamato. Promise me you'll never go." Sora said.  
  
"I swear on my life I will never ever leave you now that I've got you. I want to be with you forever." Yamato replied, kissing Sora sweetly before rising to put a movie into his DVD player. Sora and Yamato watched the first part of the film, but after that, parts of the movie were blurry as they kissed each other longingly, forgetting everything around them for the moment. By the end of the movie, Yamato was the only one awake, holding Sora's sleeping form in his arms. The credits rolled as the clock struck midnight. Yamato opened his eyes drowsily and stared down at the sleeping girl beside him. He moved a strand of hair from her angelic face and smiled contently.  
  
'So this is what I've been waiting so long for. . . ' Yamato thought as he pulled a blanket over Sora. She shifted her weight slightly, smiling as she dreamed. Yamato yawned again and moved so he was lying down with Sora on the couch, the blanket over both of them. He draped an arm protectively over Sora and felt sleep overtake him. Sighing comfortably, Yamato closed his eyes and fell asleep.  
  
**Alright, that was good I hope! In the coming chapters, Yamato and Sora get closer and closer, aggravating an old enemy and an old friend. What is going to happen next? Send me a review please, and I will be sure to write faster than lightning to get the next part out! Thanks for reading, and have a blessed day!** 


	3. Chapter Three

*Alright, I've got here another chapter! I'm sorry they're so short, but the first two were written very late at night, so I was a bit sleepy. A long chapter would have put me out! Maybe this one will be longer, and people will review it, because only two cool people so far have done that. To those two individuals: YOU'RE AWESOME! I totally appreciate it!*  
  
Learning To Breathe  
  
Mr. Ishida grumbled as he got out of bed. He hated going to work on a Saturday, but he was the only one who could keep things together at the TV station, so it was either work Saturdays or don't work at all. Putting a robe on, Mr. Ishida walked out into the living room of his apartment to see Yamato lying on the couch with a strange girl. Still groggy, Mr. Ishida stumbled in the dim room and lifted the blanket. Sora's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up to see an unshaven man staring at her with a confused look on his face. Sora shrieked, leaping to her feet and crashing to the floor again. Mr. Ishida jumped when he heard Sora scream, and Yamato sat up, completely confused.  
  
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you! I didn't know you were spending the night here!" Mr. Ishida apologized, backing away into the bathroom, shutting the door quickly. Red faced, Sora looked up at Yamato, who was completely lost.  
  
"Did I miss something?" Yamato asked, opening the blanket and letting Sora climb back onto the couch. She cuddled up next to him as he put an arm around her and pulled her closer.  
  
"Your dad just scared me to death, that's all. I forgot where I was, and all I could see was an unfamiliar man looking at me." Sora said, laughing at the whole scene. Yamato laughed too, his blue eyes tired but shining.  
  
"You're still tired, aren't you?" Sora asked, wiping a piece of blonde hair from Yamato's face. Yamato nodded and laid his head on Sora's shoulder. Sora smiled and kissed his forehead, then leaned her head down onto his.  
  
"I'm still sleepy too. Let's go back to sleep, how's that?" Sora asked, yawning. Yamato nodded, and the couple hunkered back down under the blanket, stealing a quick kiss before closing their eyes and falling asleep in each other's arms.  
  
A few hours later, Yamato was awakened by the phone on the table beside him. Groggily, he answered it to find his best friend Tai on the phone.  
  
"Hey what's up?" Tai asked perkily. Yamato could tell Tai had been up all morning playing soccer for the college team. No one was that enthusiastic at nine AM. Not even Kelly Ripa, the most bubbly, enthusiastic woman Yamato could think of, would have as much energy as Tai.  
  
"Not much, man. I was just sleeping." Yamato replied, resting his head in his free hand while he held the phone in the other.  
  
"Oh sorry about that. Hey have you seen Sora? I called her house, but she's not there." Tai asked. Yamato looked down at the sleeping girl Tai was talking about at the moment and smiled.  
  
"Yea I've seen her. She's here right now." Yamato answered. For a moment the line was quiet. Yamato silently counted to three, and then Tai went off.  
  
"There?! At your place?! You two are. . . .there?!" Tai burst out quickly. Yamato fought the urge to laugh, fearing he would awaken Sora.  
  
"Yea, Tai. She's here. Why do you want to know?" Yamato asked. He knew Tai had a crush on Sora, but was too afraid to tell her. For a brief moment Yamato felt like he had betrayed his best friend by being with Sora.  
  
"No reason I guess. . . I was just worried when she didn't answer the phone. So . . . are you guys . . . something now?" Tai asked.  
  
"Yea, I think we're on to something good here. Why did you call here, Tai? I kinda want to go back to sleep." Yamato replied, yawning loudly. Sora stirred beside him, but didn't wake up.  
  
"Well I was going to invite you over tonight. I'm having some friends out for a party. Bring your bathing suit because we're going to my parents' house. Be there at six thirty." Tai said, his mood dropping some. Yamato noticed the change in Tai's attitude, but brushed it off. He thought Tai would be bummed when he found out about him and Sora, and he was right.  
  
Alright, man we'll be there. Talk to you tonight." Yamato said as he hung up the phone. He looked down at Sora sleeping peacefully and smiled mischievously. Leaning down, Yamato blew lightly in Sora's ear, making her squirm in her sleep.  
  
"Wake up, darling. . . " Yamato crooned, kissing Sora's neck gently. Sora squirmed again, pulling the blanket over her head.  
  
"Oh that wasn't a good idea, baby. I'm going to have to go in and get you now." He exclaimed, tickling Sora through the covers. Sora began to giggle, and Yamato dove under the blanket, covering Sora's neck in butterfly kisses. Sora sighed happily and kissed Yamato on the lips, letting her tongue explore his lightly. The kiss intensified, and Yamato rolled Sora on top of him, letting her crimson hair cascade around his face. The couple kissed frantically, their hands interlocked. Yamato ran a hand down Sora's back, sending a chill down her spine. She kissed him harder, her free hand cupping his chin. Yamato flipped Sora so she lying on the couch with him supporting himself over her with his elbows. For a moment they stared at each other, their eyes locked. Then Sora leaned up and kissed Yamato lightly, falling back down onto the couch. Yamato leaned down and kissed Sora's forehead gently and sat up, pulling her up with him in the process.  
  
"Tai called, he's having a party. Do you want to come with me?" Yamato asked. Sora smiled, her rusty eyes soft.  
  
"That sounds like fun. When does it start?" Sora asked, looking at the clock on the wall.  
  
"Six thirty. I'll pick you up at six, and we'll go. Don't forget your bathing suit, because I guess we're swimming." Yamato instructed. Sora nodded and stood up slowly, stretching her arms into the air. Yamato took advantage of this and tickled her, wrestling her back onto the couch.  
  
"Yama I can't stay here all day! I have . . . errands to . . . run, and . . . if I . . . want to . . . come to . . . the party, I have to go . . . and do them!" Sora whispered as Yamato kissed her lips, interrupting her.  
  
"Alright, you can go. But I'm walking you home." Yamato said, pulling Sora to her feet and walking her out the door and to her apartment, their hands entwined together. As Sora opened the door, Yamato kissed her softly.  
  
"I'll see you at six. Until then, I'll be thinking of you." Yamato said, smiling brightly. Sora grinned and kissed Yamato's cheek.  
  
"I'll be thinking of you too, Yama." Sora replied, going into her apartment and closing the door. Yamato turned and walked away briskly, not noticing the young woman peering around the corner.  
  
"Well I'll be. That's not going to last if I have anything to do with it." The girl said, laughing quietly.  
  
Later that day, Sora stood in her bedroom trying to figure out what she wanted to wear to Tai's party. On her bed were two outfits. One was a pair of olive colored cargo pants and a blue baby tee-shirt. The other was a pair of blue jeans and a white halter top with tiny red flowers embroidered on it.  
  
"I can't decide on this. . . what would Yamato like more?" Sora said aloud. She reached for the phone and called her best friend Mimi for her opinion. If anyone knew anything about clothing and men, it was Mimi Tachikawa.  
  
"Hello, Mimi? This is Sora, and I'm in a jam. I need you to tell me which outfit would look better on me, and if Yamato would like it or not." Sora said to the girl on the other line. Mimi shreiked into the phone, nearly deafening Sora.  
  
"No way! I always knew you two would end up seeing each other! Does Tai know, because we both know how much he digs you!" Mimi cried. Sora thought for a moment, then shrugged.  
  
"I don't know, he hasn't talked to me today. So what outfit?" Sora said, rolling her eyes lightly.  
  
"Woah, let's back up for a moment while you tell me how this happened! I want details!" Mimi said. Sora blushed and told the story of the night before, smiling as Mimi exclaimed her jealousy.  
  
"You are the most lucky girl alive, I swear! I have Koushiro, but nothing compares to Yamato Ishida! I've trained you well!" Mimi gushed, patting herself on the back mentally.  
  
"Yes you have. Now will you please tell me which one is best?" Sora cried, exasperated.  
  
"Definitely the jeans ensemble. He'll die when he sees you in that one!" Mimi replied, giggling. Sora thanked her friend and hung up the phone.  
  
"Well, I have a half hour so I better get pretty quick!" Sora stated, changing into her clothes and pulling her strawberry hair into a cute ponytail. After putting on some makeup, Sora looked in the mirror with satisfaction.  
  
"That looks pretty good to me. Now all I have to do is wait on him." Sora said to herself. No sooner had she spoken did the doorbell ring. Yamato stood outside in jeans and a blue button down shirt with a white tee-shirt underneath it. His hair was styled messily on his head. Sora felt her heart skip a beat as she looked him over.  
  
'I can't wait to show HIM off!' Sora thought to herself, smiling. Yamato looked at Sora's outfit and sighed inwardly.  
  
'Man she's pretty. . . ' Yamato thought, taking her things to his car for her.  
  
"You look really pretty Sora." Yamato said, opening her door for her. Blushing slightly, Sora sat down and looked up at him with big reddish eyes.  
  
"You're looking pretty good yourself, Yama." Sora replied. Yamato got into the car and drove toward Tai's house, holding Sora's hand the whole way.  
  
Tai walked around his parent's house and talked with his friends. Every couple of seconds he would look around for any sign of Sora or Yamato. Inwardly he prayed the two of them weren't together, but somehow knew in his heart that he wasn't going to be that lucky. Just then Yamato and Sora walked in hand in hand, bursting any hopes Tai could have had. He watched the couple talk with other party goers before walking over to them with drinks. Handing them to his friends, Tai smiled nervously, running his hand through his shaggy brown hair.  
  
"Hey guys, how is everything with you?" Tai asked, knowing the answer in advance.  
  
"Everything's fine." Sora said simply, looking up at Yamato, who looked down at her and smiled. Tai rolled his chocolate eyes slightly and patted Yamato on the shoulder as he moved on to greet other guests who had arrived. Yamato and Sora went into the house and changed into their bathing suits and joined their friends in the pool. Matt snuck an arm around Sora's bare stomach as they joked and laughed with everyone.  
  
"So how long have you two been together?" Joe asked Yamato. The couple blushed and looked at their friends, who were listening intently.  
  
"Um, yea we all heard from Mimi. Good news travels fast when you have the internet!" Kari said sweetly.  
  
"Well, we've been together for. . . almost a day." Sora said, giggling and squeezing Yamato's hand. The group talked for awhile longer, than swam about, splashing and laughing the night away. Tai watched from a deck chair, his mood deteriorating.  
  
'This is so not fair. She should be mine, not. . . not his. He could never love her like I do. But there's no hope now. He has her forever, I know it.' Tai thought to himself. He pretended to be in a good mood as people thanked him and left as the night wore on. Finally Sora and Yamato were preparing to leave. Tai met them at the gate, his brown eyes locked on Sora's smiling face.  
  
"Have a good night, you two, I'll see you at school on Monday." Tai said, trying his best to feign happiness.  
  
"See you later, Tai! Thanks for having us over!" Sora said, walking out with Yamato. Grumbling, Tai walked back to his deck chair and flopped down. Suddenly a familiar voice called from the doorway. Tai stood up as Jun Motomiya walked in casually.  
  
"I don't remember inviting you." Tai said coldly. Jun smiled and looked toward the back door.  
  
"They're still outside. In his car. I saw them on my way in." Jun said, her violet eyes twinkling.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, Jun." Tai lied.  
  
"Oh yes you do. I know you love Sora. I love Yamato. I think if we work together, we can have them to ourselves forever. Sound good?" Jun said, walking over to Tai and looking into his eyes. She noted his sadness and smiled.  
  
"What's your plan?" Tai asked, sitting with Jun on the patio.  
  
*Alright, this one is a bit longer, and I hope you all liked it, because if you did I would love it if you'd review it for me! I need some input into these chapters, folks! Anyway it's late and I'm sleepy so I'll be signing off for now!* 


End file.
